Favorite Family Activity - Livin' the Good Life

Jun. 19th, 2013

10:04 pm - Favorite Family Activity

In contrast to the previous post about depriving babies and children of loving touch and a "hands-on" mother, I, myself, was a "hands-on" mother on steroids! Ever since I was a little girl, I always felt better with something in my arms. My mom said she rarely saw me without a doll tucked under my arm. I mean, really, I couldn't leave my baby at home! She would miss me! Even today, it feels so good to have a child, like little Ollie, wrapped in my embrace. Nothing better. I think the inner arms must have extra sensitive receptors, because it's so pleasurable to hold another human being. And it's not just babies. I love holding children of all ages. (And don't forget grown-ups. They need cuddles too!)

Here Steve snapped a candid shot of a familiar scene: me reading to the kids (Damian and Gabe) in bed. It was our favorite family activity... and a good excuse for snuggling up with an older child.

Comments:

I grew up in a loving home, but affection was not shown. I missed it a lot and I knew it was missing. One day my Mom happened to read about a little girl who was dying but the doctors could not figure out why. This smart doctor prescribed that everyone in the family touch this child often....so whenever they walked by her (it was a large family) they reached out and cuddled her or even just patted her on the arm or shoulder as they were passing by her. All day long this little girl was touched and she soon got better and recovered. Anyway, as my Mom shared this story to us I made a mental note of it. It really influenced me when I became a mother. I still think of that story all these years later.

I like how Gabe's head is under your arm. That couldn't have been all the comfortable but you obviously wanted him as close as possible.